The Lancet – Jun 04, 2016

The Lancet
Jun 04, 2016 Volume 387 Number 10035 p2263-2350
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
Editorial
World Humanitarian Summit: next steps crucial
The Lancet
Summary
Ban Ki-moon’s final flagship initiative for his tenure as UN Secretary-General, the World Humanitarian Summit, was held in Istanbul, Turkey, last week (May 23–24). The meeting, the first of its kind, was marred in controversy before it started, with Médecins Sans Frontières boycotting the event because it did not believe that it would address the weaknesses in humanitarian action and emergency response. Other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were sceptical too. Were they right?

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Comment
Time for mental health to come out of the shadows
Arthur Kleinman, Georgia Lockwood Estrin, Shamaila Usmani, Dan Chisholm, Patricio V Marquez, Tim G Evans, Shekhar Saxena
Summary
Mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, impose an enormous global disease burden1 that leads to premature mortality and affects functioning and quality of life. If left untreated, mental disorders can result in worse treatment adherence and outcomes for commonly co-occurring diseases, such as tuberculosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.2 Yet parity between mental and physical health conditions remains a distant ideal. Poor mental health also impacts on economic development through lost production and consumption opportunities at both the individual and societal level.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases – Jun 2016

The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jun 2016 Volume 16 Number 6 p619-752 e82-e107
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

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Comment
Mandating influenza vaccine for Hajj pilgrims
Mohammad Alfelali, Amani S Alqahtani, Osamah Barasheed, Robert Booy, Harunor Rashid
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(16)30064-0
The risk of acquisition and transmission of respiratory tract infections including influenza is considerably enhanced among attendees of the Hajj pilgrimage.1 Influenza vaccine has been recommended by the Saudi Ministry of Health since 2005 for all pilgrims, particularly for those at increased risk of severe disease.2 The Saudi Ministry of Health is now seriously considering mandating influenza vaccine for all pilgrims,3 and the Saudi Thoracic Society has already urged consideration of a “strict vaccination strategy” for Hajj and Umrah visitors.

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Articles
Effect of the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on invasive pneumococcal disease in The Gambia: a population-based surveillance study
Grant A Mackenzie, Philip C Hill, David J Jeffries, Ilias Hossain, Uchendu Uchendu, David Ameh, Malick Ndiaye, Oyedeji Adeyemi, Jayani Pathirana, Yekini Olatunji, Bade Abatan, Bilquees S Muhammad, Augustin E Fombah, Debasish Saha, Ian Plumb, Aliu Akano, Bernard Ebruke, Readon C Ideh, Bankole Kuti, Peter Githua, Emmanuel Olutunde, Ogochukwu Ofordile, Edward Green, Effua Usuf, Henry Badji, Usman N A Ikumapayi, Ahmad Manjang, Rasheed Salaudeen, E David Nsekpong, Sheikh Jarju, Martin Antonio, Sana Sambou, Lamin Ceesay, Yamundow Lowe-Jallow, Momodou Jasseh, Kim Mulholland, Maria Knoll, Orin S Levine, Stephen R Howie, Richard A Adegbola, Brian M Greenwood, Tumani Corrah
703
Open Access
Summary
Background
Little information is available about the effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in low-income countries. We measured the effect of these vaccines on invasive pneumococcal disease in The Gambia where the 7-valent vaccine (PCV7) was introduced in August, 2009, followed by the 13-valent vaccine (PCV13) in May, 2011.
Methods
We conducted population-based surveillance for invasive pneumococcal disease in individuals aged 2 months and older who were residents of the Basse Health and Demographic Surveillance System (BHDSS) in the Upper River Region, The Gambia, using standardised criteria to identify and investigate patients. Surveillance was done between May, 2008, and December, 2014. We compared the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease between baseline (May 12, 2008–May 11, 2010) and after the introduction of PCV13 (Jan 1, 2013–Dec 31, 2014), adjusting for changes in case ascertainment over time.
Findings
We investigated 14 650 patients, in whom we identified 320 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease. Compared with baseline, after the introduction of the PCV programme, the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease decreased by 55% (95% CI 30–71) in the 2–23 months age group, from 253 to 113 per 100 000 population. This decrease was due to an 82% (95% CI 64–91) reduction in serotypes covered by the PCV13 vaccine. In the 2–4 years age group, the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease decreased by 56% (95% CI 25–75), from 113 to 49 cases per 100 000, with a 68% (95% CI 39–83) reduction in PCV13 serotypes. The incidence of non-PCV13 serotypes in children aged 2–59 months increased by 47% (−21 to 275) from 28 to 41 per 100 000, with a broad range of serotypes. The incidence of non-pneumococcal bacteraemia varied little over time.
Interpretation
The Gambian PCV programme reduced the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in children aged 2–59 months by around 55%. Further surveillance is needed to ascertain the maximum effect of the vaccine in the 2–4 years and older age groups, and to monitor serotype replacement. Low-income and middle-income countries that introduce PCV13 can expect substantial reductions in invasive pneumococcal disease.
Funding
GAVI’s Pneumococcal vaccines Accelerated Development and Introduction Plan (PneumoADIP), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the UK Medical Research Council.

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Articles
The global burden of dengue: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013
Jeffrey D Stanaway, Donald S Shepard, Eduardo A Undurraga, Yara A Halasa, Luc E Coffeng, Oliver J Brady, Simon I Hay, Neeraj Bedi, Isabela M Bensenor, Carlos A Castañeda-Orjuela, Ting-Wu Chuang, Katherine B Gibney, Ziad A Memish, Anwar Rafay, Kingsley N Ukwaja, Naohiro Yonemoto, Christopher J L Murray
Summary
Background
Dengue is the most common arbovirus infection globally, but its burden is poorly quantified. We estimated dengue mortality, incidence, and burden for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.
Methods
We modelled mortality from vital registration, verbal autopsy, and surveillance data using the Cause of Death Ensemble Modelling tool. We modelled incidence from officially reported cases, and adjusted our raw estimates for under-reporting based on published estimates of expansion factors. In total, we had 1780 country-years of mortality data from 130 countries, 1636 country-years of dengue case reports from 76 countries, and expansion factor estimates for 14 countries.
Findings
We estimated an average of 9221 dengue deaths per year between 1990 and 2013, increasing from a low of 8277 (95% uncertainty estimate 5353–10 649) in 1992, to a peak of 11 302 (6790–13 722) in 2010. This yielded a total of 576 900 (330 000–701 200) years of life lost to premature mortality attributable to dengue in 2013. The incidence of dengue increased greatly between 1990 and 2013, with the number of cases more than doubling every decade, from 8·3 million (3·3 million–17·2 million) apparent cases in 1990, to 58·4 million (23·6 million–121·9 million) apparent cases in 2013. When accounting for disability from moderate and severe acute dengue, and post-dengue chronic fatigue, 566 000 (186 000–1 415 000) years lived with disability were attributable to dengue in 2013. Considering fatal and non-fatal outcomes together, dengue was responsible for 1·14 million (0·73 million–1·98 million) disability-adjusted life-years in 2013.
Interpretation
Although lower than other estimates, our results offer more evidence that the true symptomatic incidence of dengue probably falls within the commonly cited range of 50 million to 100 million cases per year. Our mortality estimates are lower than those presented elsewhere and should be considered in light of the totality of evidence suggesting that dengue mortality might, in fact, be substantially higher.
Funding
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Review
HIV-exposed, uninfected infants: new global challenges in the era of paediatric HIV elimination
Ceri Evans, MBBCh, Christine E Jones, PhD, Dr Andrew J Prendergast, DPhil
Published Online: 31 March 2016
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(16)00055-4
Summary
The number of infants infected with HIV is declining with the rise in interventions for the elimination of paediatric HIV infection, but the number of uninfected infants exposed to HIV through their HIV-infected mothers is increasing. Interest in the health outcomes of HIV-exposed, uninfected infants has grown in the past decade, with several studies suggesting that these infants have increased mortality rates, increased infectious morbidity, and impaired growth compared with HIV-unexposed infants. However, heterogeneous results might reflect the inherent challenges in studies of HIV-exposed, uninfected infants, which need large populations with appropriate, contemporaneous comparison groups and repeated HIV testing throughout the period of breastfeeding. We review the effects of HIV exposure on mortality, morbidity, and growth, discuss the immunological abnormalities identified so far, and provide an overview of interventions that could be effective in this susceptible population. As the number of infants infected with HIV declines, the health needs of HIV-exposed, uninfected infants should be prioritised further, to ensure that post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals are achieved.

Lancet Global Health – Jun 2016 Volume 4 Number 6 e344-e426

Lancet Global Health
Jun 2016 Volume 4 Number 6 e344-e426
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

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Articles
Achieving maternal and child health gains in Afghanistan: a Countdown to 2015 country case study
Nadia Akseer, Ahmad S Salehi, S M Moazzem Hossain, M Taufiq Mashal, M Hafiz Rasooly, Zaid Bhatti, Arjumand Rizvi, Zulfiqar A Bhutta

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Articles
Child health and nutrition in Peru within an antipoverty political agenda: a Countdown to 2015 country case study
Luis Huicho, Eddy R Segura, Carlos A Huayanay-Espinoza, Jessica Niño de Guzman, Maria Clara Restrepo-Méndez, Yvonne Tam, Aluisio J D Barros, Cesar G Victora, Peru Countdown Country Case Study Working Group

New England Journal of Medicine – June 2, 2016 Vol. 374 No. 22

New England Journal of Medicine
June 2, 2016 Vol. 374 No. 22
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

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Editorial
Clinical Trials Series
Janet Woodcock, M.D., James H. Ware, Ph.D., Pamela W. Miller, John J.V. McMurray, M.D., David P. Harrington, Ph.D., and Jeffrey M. Drazen, M.D.
N Engl J Med 2016; 374:2167 June 2, 2016 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe1601510
Clinical trials are our best vehicle for turning medical information that we may think is true into evidence that we know, within reasonable limits, to be true. Since the introduction of random assignments to treatment in the 1930s,1 the clinical trial has been in continuous evolution. Among the major milestones have been the development of methods to perform randomization; the convening of data and safety monitoring committees; the formulation of stopping guidelines for safety, efficacy, and futility; and many others. Indeed, the clinical trial landscape is far different today from what it was over 80 years ago, when investigators first confronted the conundrum of how to obtain unbiased data that could be used to guide clinical practice. Today, trials range from a single person2 to 100,000 people, from a single lab to hundreds of centers around the world, from simple two-arm randomizations to increasingly complex study designs.

In this issue, we inaugurate a series of articles called “The Changing Face of Clinical Trials,” in which we examine the current challenges in the design, performance, and interpretation of clinical trials. The series will deal with contemporary challenges that affect clinical trialists today. It is not meant to be a course in clinical trial performance; rather, the articles are written by trialists for trialists about issues that face us all. We plan to cover new trial designs, current issues related to the performance of clinical trials, how to deal with unexpected events during the progress of trials, difficulties in the interpretation of trial findings, and challenges faced by specific sectors of trialists, including those working for large or small companies; the viewpoint of regulators who use trial data in their decision making will also be included. Each review article will define a specific issue of interest and illustrate it with examples from actual practice. The articles will occasionally be accompanied by Perspective pieces to bring additional history and color to the topic. We begin with an article on integrating comparative effectiveness trials into patient care,3 accompanied by a history of clinical trials.4 We have enjoyed putting the series together for you, and we hope that it will stimulate thought and discussion.

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Review Article
Integrating Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Research with Patient Care
Louis D. Fiore, M.D., M.P.H., and Philip W. Lavori, Ph.D.
N Engl J Med 2016; 374:2152-2158 June 2, 2016 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra1510057
Clinical trials of interventions in common practice can be built into the workflow of an electronic medical record. The authors review four such trials and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of this approach to gathering information.

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Medicine and Society
Assessing the Gold Standard — Lessons from the History of RCTs
Laura E. Bothwell, Ph.D., Jeremy A. Greene, M.D., Ph.D., Scott H. Podolsky, M.D., and David S. Jones, M.D., Ph.D.
N Engl J Med 2016; 374:2175-2181 June 2, 2016 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMms160459
Over the past 70 years, randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) have reshaped medical knowledge and practice. Popularized by mid-20th-century clinical researchers and statisticians aiming to reduce bias and enhance the accuracy of clinical experimentation, RCTs have often functioned well in that role. Yet the past seven decades also bear witness to many limitations of this new “gold standard.” The scientific and political history of RCTs offers lessons regarding the complexity of medicine and disease and the economic and political forces that shape the production and circulation of medical knowledge…

PLoS Currents: Outbreaks (Accessed 4 June 2016)

PLoS Currents: Outbreaks
http://currents.plos.org/outbreaks/
(Accessed 4 June 2016)

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Research Article
Maintaining Maternal and Child Health Services During the Ebola Outbreak: Experience from Pujehun, Sierra Leone
June 2, 2016 ·
Background: During the Ebola outbreak the overall confidence of the population in the national health system declined in Sierra Leone, with a reduction in the use of health services. The objective of this study is to provide information on understanding of how Ebola impacted maternal and child health services in Sierra Leone. Data come from an operational setting which is representative of the communities affected by the outbreak.
Methods: By integrating hospital registers and contact tracing form data with healthcare workers and local population interviews, the transmission chain was reconstructed. Data on the utilization of maternal and neonatal health services were collected from the local district’s Health Management Information System. The main measures put in place to control the Ebola epidemic were: the organization of a rapid response to the crisis by the local health authorities; triage, contact tracing and quarantine; isolation, clinical management and safe burials; training and community sensitization.
Results: A total of 49 case patients were registered between July and November 2014 in the Pujehun district. Hospitalization rate was 89%. Overall, 74.3% of transmission events occurred between members of the same family, 17.9% in the community and 7.7% in hospital. The mean number of contacts investigated per case raised from 11.5 in July to 25 in September 2014. The 2014 admission trend in the pediatric ward shows a decrease after beginning of June: the reduction was almost significant in the period July-December (p 0.05). The admission in the maternity ward showed no statistical differences in comparison with the previous year (p 0.07). Also the number of deliveries appeared to be similar to the previous year, without significant variations (p 0.41).
Conclusion: The Ebola outbreak reduced the number of patients at hospital level in Pujehun district. However, the activities undertaken to manage Ebola, reduced the spread of infection and the impact of the disease in mothers and children. A number of reasons which may explain these results are presented and discussed.

PLoS Medicine (Accessed 4 June 2016)

PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 4 June 2016)

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Research Article
Prices, Costs, and Affordability of New Medicines for Hepatitis C in 30 Countries: An Economic Analysis
Swathi Iyengar, Kiu Tay-Teo, Sabine Vogler, Peter Beyer, Stefan Wiktor, Kees de Joncheere, Suzanne Hill
Research Article | published 31 May 2016 | PLOS Medicine
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002032

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Perspective
A Revolution in Treatment for Hepatitis C Infection: Mitigating the Budgetary Impact
Elliot Marseille, James G. Kahn
| published 31 May 2016 | PLOS Medicine
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002031

PLoS One [Accessed 4 June 2016]

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 4 June 2016]

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Research Article
Rapid Ethical Assessment on Informed Consent Content and Procedure in Hintalo-Wajirat, Northern Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
Serebe Abay, Adamu Addissie, Gail Davey, Bobbie Farsides, Thomas Addissie
Research Article | published 03 Jun 2016 | PLOS ONE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157056

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Cross-Border Cholera Outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Mystery behind the Silent Illness: What Needs to Be Done?
Godfrey Bwire, Maurice Mwesawina, Yosia Baluku, Setiala S. E. Kanyanda, Christopher Garimoi Orach
Research Article | published 03 Jun 2016 | PLOS ONE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156674

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Scoping Review of the Zika Virus Literature
Lisa A. Waddell, Judy D. Greig
Research Article | published 31 May 2016 | PLOS ONE
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.015637

Modern contraceptive use among migrant and non-migrant women in Kenya

Reproductive Health
http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/content
[Accessed 4 June 2016]

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Research
Modern contraceptive use among migrant and non-migrant women in Kenya
Manifest socio-economic differences are a trigger for internal migration in many sub-Saharan settings including Kenya. An interplay of the social, political and economic factors often lead to internal migratio…
Rhoune Ochako, Ian Askew, Jerry Okal, John Oucho and Marleen Temmerman
Reproductive Health 2016 13:67
Published on: 1 June 2016

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy Volume 9, 2016 [Haiti: Cholera ; Ethics in Ebola Response]

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy
Volume 9, 2016
https://www.dovepress.com/risk-management-and-healthcare-policy-archive56

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Original Research
Video
Haiti’s progress in achieving its 10-year plan to eliminate cholera: hidden sickness cannot be cured
Koski-Karell V, Farmer PE, Isaac B, Campa EM, Viaud L, Namphy PC, Ternier R, Ivers LC
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2016, 9:87-100
Published Date: 24 May 2016
Abstract:
Since the beginning of the cholera epidemic in Haiti 5 years ago, the prevalence of this deadly water-borne disease has fallen far below the initial rates registered during its explosive outset. However, cholera continues to cause extensive suffering and needless deaths across the country, particularly among the poor. The urgent need to eliminate transmission of cholera persists: compared to the same period in 2014, the first 4 months of 2015 saw three times the number of cholera cases. Drawing upon epidemiology, clinical work (and clinical knowledge), policy, ecology, and political economy, and informed by ethnographic data collected in a rural area of Haiti called Bocozel, this paper evaluates the progress of the nation’s 10-year Plan for the Elimination of Cholera. Bocozel is a rice-producing region where most people live in extreme poverty. The irrigation network is decrepit, the land is prone to environmental shocks, fertilizer is not affordable, and the government’s capacity to assist farmers is undermined by resource constraints. When peasants do have rice to sell, the price of domestically grown rice is twice that of US-imported rice. Canal water is not only used to irrigate thousands of acres of rice paddies and sustain livestock, but also to bathe, wash, and play, while water from wells, hand pumps, and the river is used for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Only one out of the three government-sponsored water treatment stations in the research area is still functional and utilized by those who can afford it. Latrines are scarce and often shared by up to 30 people; open defecation remains common. Structural vulnerabilities cut across all sectors – not just water, sanitation, health care, and education, but agriculture, environment, (global and local) commerce, transportation, and governance as well. These are among the hidden sicknesses that impede Haiti and its partners’ capacity to eliminate cholera.

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Review
Critical role of ethics in clinical management and public health response to the West Africa Ebola epidemic
Folayan MO, Haire BG, Brown B
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2016, 9:55-65
Published Date: 12 May 2016
Abstract:
The devastation caused by the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa has brought to the fore a number of important ethical debates about how best to respond to a health crisis. These debates include issues related to prevention and containment, management of the health care workforce, clinical care, and research design, all of which are situated within the overarching moral problem of severe transnational disadvantage, which has very real and specific impacts upon the ability of citizens of EVD-affected countries to respond to a disease outbreak. Ethical issues related to prevention and containment include the appropriateness and scope of quarantine and isolation within and outside affected countries. The possibility of infection in health care workers impelled consideration of whether there is an obligation to provide health services where personal protection equipment is inadequate, alongside the issue of whether the health care workforce should have special access to experimental treatment and care interventions under development. In clinical care, ethical issues include the standards of care owed to people who comply with quarantine and isolation restrictions. Ethical issues in research include appropriate study design related to experimental vaccines and treatment interventions, and the sharing of data and biospecimens between research groups. The compassionate use of experimental drugs intersects both with research ethics and clinical care. The role of developed countries also came under scrutiny, and we concluded that developed countries have an obligation to contribute to the containment of EVD infection by contributing to the strengthening of local health care systems and infrastructure in an effort to provide fair benefits to communities engaged in research, ensuring that affected countries have ready and affordable access to any therapeutic or preventative interventions developed, and supporting affected countries on their way to recovery from the impact of EVD on their social and economic lives.

Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies – Volume 11, Issue 2, 2016

Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies
An International Interdisciplinary Journal for Research, Policy and Care
Volume 11, Issue 2, 2016
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rvch20/current

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Original Articles
An art therapy intervention for symptoms of post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety among Syrian refugee children
pages 89-102
Nilay Ugurlu, Leyla Akca & Ceren Acarturk
DOI:10.1080/17450128.2016.1181288
Published online: 26 Apr 2016
ABSTRACT
This study first examined the prevalence of psychological symptoms among Syrian refugee children (N = 64) and assessed the effect of an art therapy intervention on post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety symptoms. The Stressful Life Events (SLE) Questionnaire was used to measure stressful and traumatic experiences. The main outcome measures were UCLA Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Parent version, Child Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Scale. After the baseline assessment, a five-day art therapy intervention, which is based on Skills for Psychological Recovery, was implemented. Findings of the study indicated that 60.3% (N = 35) of Syrian children who participated had high risk to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to the SLE scale. The 23.4% of the children had PTSD symptoms while the 17.6% showed severe depression symptoms. Moreover, the 14.4% of the children showed severe levels of state anxiety symptoms and the 31.1% showed severe levels of trait anxiety symptoms. Findings of the study indicated that trauma, depression and trait anxiety symptoms of children were significantly reduced at the post-assessment. However, for state anxiety scores, significant differences between pre- and post-assessments did not appear. Therefore, it could be said that art therapy may be an effective method to reduce post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and trait anxiety symptoms among refugee children.

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ARTICLE
The health of children whose mothers are trafficked or in sex work in the U.S.: an exploratory study
pages 127-135
Brian Willis, Diane Vines, Sara Bubar & Maria Ramirez Suchard
DOI:10.1080/17450128.2016.1189019
Published online: 30 May 2016
ABSTRACT
The goal of this exploratory study was to identify health problems experienced by children whose mothers are trafficked or in sex work in the U.S. and the proportion of the children who experience these health problems. Participants were adult survivors of sex trafficking and adult women in sex work. They were asked about the health of children whose mothers were trafficked or in sex work but not about their own children. This approach allows participants to discuss sensitive issues but without having to share potentially negative information about their own children. Participants were asked to identify the common and serious health problems among the children based on their observations, to rank the problems in order of seriousness, to estimate the percentages of the children who experience certain health problems, and to identify the causes of death among the children. There were numerous reports of birth defects, fetal alcohol syndrome, blindness, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and physical and sexual abuse. Nearly a third of respondents (31%) knew of the death of a child whose mother was trafficked or in sex work, and 11% reported they knew of the death of a child due to physical abuse. The majority of respondents (89%) reported that some daughters are trafficked into prostitution. The median estimate of the percentage of daughters who are trafficked was 50%. Children born to trafficked adolescents and adult female sex workers in the U.S. are potentially at high risk for many serious and fatal health problems. The magnitude of these health problems is poorly understood but warrant urgent attention.

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health ::
Holistic Development :: Sustainable Resilience
__________________________________________________
Week ending 28 May 2016

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor &
Founding Managing Director
GE2P2 – Center for Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

pdf version: The Sentinel_ week ending 28 May 2016

Evidence-based practices to increase hand hygiene compliance in health care facilities: An integrated review

American Journal of Infection Control
June 2016 Volume 44, Issue 6, p619-738, e81-e102
http://www.ajicjournal.org/current

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State of the Science Review
Evidence-based practices to increase hand hygiene compliance in health care facilities: An integrated review
Jun Rong Jeffrey Neo, Rana Sagha-Zadeh, Ole Vielemeyer, Ella Franklin
p691–704
Published in issue: June 01 2016
Highlights
:: Five key categories of hand hygiene intervention (HHI) emerged: (1) improving awareness with education (knowledge transfer, evaluation, mentoring and feedback), (2) facility design and planning, (3) unit-level protocols and procedures, (4) institution-wide programs, and (5) multimodal interventions.
:: Although some evidence-based HHI has been developed, sustaining hand hygiene compliance remains challenging.
:: Components like environmental psychology, behavioral economics, and financial rewards should be used to better understand and catalyze improved behavioral change in various contexts and environments to improve hand hygiene.
Abstract
Background
Hand hygiene (HH) in health care facilities is a key component to reduce pathogen transmission and nosocomial infections. However, most HH interventions (HHI) have not been sustainable.
Aims
This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of recently published evidence-based HHI designed to improve HH compliance (HHC) that will enable health care providers to make informed choices when allocating limited resources to improve HHC and patient safety.
Methods
The Medline electronic database (using PubMed) was used to identify relevant studies. English language articles that included hand hygiene interventions and related terms combined with health care environments or related terms were included.
Results
Seventy-three studies that met the inclusion criteria were summarized. Interventions were categorized as improving awareness with education, facility design, and planning, unit-level protocols and procedures, hospital-wide programs, and multimodal interventions. Past successful HHIs may not be as effective when applied to other health care environments. HH education should be interactive and engaging. Electronic monitoring and reminders should be implemented in phases to ensure cost-effectiveness. To create hospitalwide programs that engage end users, policy makers should draw expertise from interdisciplinary fields. Before implementing the various components of multimodal interventions, health care practitioners should identify and examine HH difficulties unique to their organizations.
Conclusions
Future research should seek to achieve the following: replicate successful HHI in other health care environments, develop reliable HHC monitoring tools, understand caregiver-patient-family interactions, examine ways (eg, hospital leadership, financial support, and strategies from public health and infection prevention initiatives) to sustain HHC, and use simulated lab environments to refine study designs.

American Journal of Public Health – Volume 106, Issue 6 (June 2016)

American Journal of Public Health
Volume 106, Issue 6 (June 2016)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

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DISASTER SUPPLY KITS
Lack of Evidence Supporting the Effectiveness of Disaster Supply Kits
Tara N. Heagele
American Journal of Public Health: June 2016, Vol. 106, No. 6: 979–982.

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HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Human Trafficking and Health: A Survey of Male and Female Survivors in England
American Journal of Public Health: June 2016, Vol. 106, No. 6: 1073–1078.
Siân Oram, Melanie Abas, Debra Bick, Adrian Boyle, Rebecca French, Sharon Jakobowitz, Mizanur Khondoker, Nicky Stanley, Kylee Trevillion, Louise Howard, Cathy Zimmerman
ABSTRACT
Objectives. To investigate physical and mental health and experiences of violence among male and female trafficking survivors in a high-income country.
Methods. Our data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 150 men and women in England who were in contact with posttrafficking support services. Interviews took place over 18 months, from June 2013 to December 2014.
Results. Participants had been trafficked for sexual exploitation (29%), domestic servitude (29.3%), and labor exploitation (40.4%). Sixty-six percent of women reported forced sex during trafficking, including 95% of those trafficked for sexual exploitation and 54% of those trafficked for domestic servitude. Twenty-one percent of men and 24% of women reported ongoing injuries, and 8% of men and 23% of women reported diagnosed sexually transmitted infections. Finally, 78% of women and 40% of men reported high levels of depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.
Conclusions. Psychological interventions to support the recovery of this highly vulnerable population are urgently needed.

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Sexual Violence
Social Support, Sexual Violence, and Transactional Sex Among Female Transnational Migrants to South Africa
American Journal of Public Health: June 2016, Vol. 106, No. 6: 1123–1129.
Margaret Giorgio, Loraine Townsend, Yanga Zembe, Sally Guttmacher, Farzana Kapadia, Mireille Cheyip, Catherine Mathews
Abstract
Objectives. To examine the relationship between sexual violence and transactional sex and assess the impact of social support on this relationship among female transnational migrants in Cape Town, South Africa.
Methods. In 2012 we administered a behavioral risk factor survey using respondent-driven sampling to transnational migrant women aged between 16 and 39 years, born outside South Africa, living in Cape Town, and speaking English, Shona, Swahili, Lingala, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, French, or Somali.
Results. Controlling for study covariates, travel-phase sexual violence was positively associated with engagement in transactional sex (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07, 1.77), and social support was shown to be a protective factor (APR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.75, 0.95). The interaction of experienced sexual violence during migration and social support score was APR = 0.85 (95% CI = 0.66, 1.10). In the stratified analysis, we found an increased risk of transactional sex among the low social support group (APR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.22, 2.00). This relationship was not statistically significant among the moderate or high social support group (APR = 1.04; 95% CI = 0.58, 1.87).
Conclusions. Programs designed to strengthen social support may reduce transactional sex among migrant women after they have settled in their receiving communities.

Perspectives of frontline health workers on Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme before and after community engagement interventions

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 28 May 2016)

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Research article
Perspectives of frontline health workers on Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme before and after community engagement interventions
Barely a decade after introduction of Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), significant successes have been recorded in universal access to basic healthcare services.
Robert Kaba Alhassan, Edward Nketiah-Amponsah, Nicole Spieker, Daniel Kojo Arhinful and Tobias F. Rinke de Wit
BMC Health Services Research 2016 16:192
Published on: 28 May 2016

BMC Infectious Diseases (Accessed 28 May 2016)

BMC Infectious Diseases

(Accessed 28 May 2016)

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Research article
Implementation of coordinated global serotype 2 oral poliovirus vaccine cessation: risks of potential non-synchronous cessation
The endgame for polio eradication involves coordinated global cessation of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) with cessation of serotype 2 OPV (OPV2 cessation) implemented in late April and early May 2016…
Radboud J. Duintjer Tebbens, Lee M. Hampton and Kimberly M. Thompson
BMC Infectious Diseases 2016 16:231
Published on: 26 May 2016

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Research article
Gaining and sustaining schistosomiasis control: study protocol and baseline data prior to different treatment strategies in five African countries
The Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and Evaluation (SCORE) was established in 2008 to answer strategic questions about schistosomiasis control. For programme managers, a high-priority quest…
Amara E. Ezeamama, Chun-La He, Ye Shen, Xiao-Ping Yin, Sue C. Binder, Carl H. Campbell, Stephen Rathbun, Christopher C. Whalen, Eliézer K. N’Goran, Jürg Utzinger, Annette Olsen, Pascal Magnussen, Safari Kinung’hi, Alan Fenwick, Anna Phillips, Josefo Ferro…
BMC Infectious Diseases 2016 16:229
Published on: 26 May 2016

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Research article
Human papillomavirus infection in Rwanda at the moment of implementation of a national HPV vaccination programme
Cervical cancer is the most common female cancer in Rwanda that, in 2011, became the first African country to implement a national vaccination programme against human papillomavirus (HPV).
Fidele Ngabo, Silvia Franceschi, Iacopo Baussano, M. Chantal Umulisa, Peter J. F. Snijders, Anne M. Uyterlinde, Fulvio Lazzarato, Vanessa Tenet, Maurice Gatera, Agnes Binagwaho and Gary M. Clifford
BMC Infectious Diseases 2016 16:225
Published on: 24 May 2016

Research impact: a narrative review

BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 28 May 2016)

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Review
Research impact: a narrative review
Trisha Greenhalgh, James Raftery, Steve Hanney and Matthew Glover
BMC Medicine201614:78
DOI: 10.1186/s12916-016-0620-8
Abstract
Impact occurs when research generates benefits (health, economic, cultural) in addition to building the academic knowledge base. Its mechanisms are complex and reflect the multiple ways in which knowledge is generated and utilised. Much progress has been made in measuring both the outcomes of research and the processes and activities through which these are achieved, though the measurement of impact is not without its critics. We review the strengths and limitations of six established approaches (Payback, Research Impact Framework, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, monetisation, societal impact assessment, UK Research Excellence Framework) plus recently developed and largely untested ones (including metrics and electronic databases). We conclude that (1) different approaches to impact assessment are appropriate in different circumstances; (2) the most robust and sophisticated approaches are labour-intensive and not always feasible or affordable; (3) whilst most metrics tend to capture direct and proximate impacts, more indirect and diffuse elements of the research-impact link can and should be measured; and (4) research on research impact is a rapidly developing field with new methodologies on the horizon.

Improving the provision of pregnancy care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: a continuous quality improvement initiative

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpregnancychildbirth/content
(Accessed 28 May 2016)

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Research article
Improving the provision of pregnancy care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: a continuous quality improvement initiative
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) women are at greater risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes than non-Indigenous women.
Melanie E. Gibson-Helm, Alice R. Rumbold, Helena J. Teede, Sanjeeva Ranasinha, Ross S. Bailie and Jacqueline A. Boyle
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:118
Published on: 24 May 2016

Global Public Health – Volume 11, Issue 5-6, 2016

Global Public Health
Volume 11, Issue 5-6, 2016
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current
Special Issue: Participatory Visual Methodologies in Global Public Health

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Introduction
Participatory visual methodologies in global public health
pages 521-527
Claudia M. Mitchell & Marni Sommer
ABSTRACT
This Introduction serves to map out a range of participatory visual approaches, as well as critical issues related to the use of participatory visual methodologies in global health. In so doing, it offers both an overview of these innovative practices in global health and a consideration of some of the key questions that researchers might ask themselves in design and implementation.

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Articles
Research as intervention? Exploring the health and well-being of children and youth facing global adversity through participatory visual methods
pages 528-545
Miranda D’Amico, Myriam Denov, Fatima Khan, Warren Linds & Bree Akesson
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2016.1165719
ABSTRACT
Global health research typically relies on the translation of knowledge (from health professionals to the community) and the dissemination of knowledge (from research results to the wider public). However, Greenhalgh and Wieringa [2011. Is it time to drop the ‘knowledge translation’ metaphor? A critical literature review. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 104(12), 501–509. doi:10.1258/jrsm.2011.110285] suggest ‘that while “translation” is a widely used metaphor in medicine, it constrains how we conceptualize and study the link between knowledge and practice’ (p. 501). Often the knowledge garnered from such research projects comes from health professionals rather than reflecting the lived experiences of people and communities. Likewise, there has been a gap in ‘translating’ and ‘disseminating’ the results of participatory action research projects to policymakers and medical practitioners. This paper will look at how using participatory visual methodologies in global health research with children and youth facing global adversity incorporates the multiple functions of their lived realities so that research becomes a means of intervention. Drawing from a literature review of participatory visual methods as media, content and processes of global health research, this paper raises practical, theoretical, and ethical questions that arise from research as intervention. The paper concludes by exploring what lessons emerge when participatory visual methodologies are integrated into global health research with children and youth facing global adversity.

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From informed consent to dissemination: Using participatory visual methods with young people with long-term conditions at different stages of research
pages 636-650
Cecilia Vindrola-Padros, Ana Martins, Imelda Coyne, Gemma Bryan & Faith Gibson
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2016.1165718
ABSTRACT
Research with young people suffering from a long-term illness has more recently incorporated the use of visual methods to foster engagement of research participants from a wide age range, capture the longitudinal and complex factors involved in young people’s experiences of care, and allow young people to express their views in multiple ways. Despite its contributions, these methods are not always easy to implement and there is a possibility that they might not generate the results or engagement initially anticipated by researchers. We hope to expand on the emerging discussion on the use of participatory visual methods by presenting the practical issues we have faced while using this methodology during different stages of research: informed assent/consent, data collection, and the dissemination of findings. We propose a combination of techniques to make sure that the research design is flexible enough to allow research participants to shape the research process according to their needs and interests.

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Beyond engagement in working with children in eight Nairobi slums to address safety, security, and housing: Digital tools for policy and community dialogue
pages 651-665
Claudia Mitchell, Fatuma Chege, Lucy Maina & Margot Rothman
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2016.1165720
ABSTRACT
This article studies the ways in which researchers working in the area of health and social research and using participatory visual methods might extend the reach of participant-generated creations such as photos and drawings to engage community leaders and policy-makers. Framed as going ‘beyond engagement’, the article explores the idea of the production of researcher-led digital dialogue tools, focusing on one example, based on a series of visual arts-based workshops with children from eight slums in Nairobi addressing issues of safety, security, and well-being in relation to housing. The authors conclude that there is a need for researchers to embark upon the use of visual tools to expand the life and use of visual productions, and in particular to ensure meaningful participation of communities in social change.

Outwitting dengue threat and epidemics resurgence in Asia-Pacific countries: strengthening integrated dengue surveillance, monitoring and response systems

Infectious Diseases of Poverty
http://www.idpjournal.com/content
[Accessed 28 May 2016]

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Commentary
Outwitting dengue threat and epidemics resurgence in Asia-Pacific countries: strengthening integrated dengue surveillance, monitoring and response systems
Dengue is still a substantial vector-borne viral disease threat and burden of public health importance worldwide. This situation is complicated by dengue virus unprecedented resurgence and persistence …
Ernest Tambo, Jun-Hu Chen, Xiao-Nong Zhou and Emad I. M. Khater
Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2016 5:56
Published on: 27 May 2016